23 thoughts on “zMors Modular Synthesizer Integrates iPad, Hardware Modulars”

1. Nice, but what kind of hardware to I need for that? And why not for iOS 5, since I only got an iPad 1.

   1. Why not for iOS 5? iOS 7 introduced a significant set of features for audio apps. They wanted to support inter-app audio, so they used that. Using anything lower than 7 for audio use is only using a portion of the capabilities of the iPad.

      In case you’re curious: http://9to5mac.com/2013/06/12/ios-7s-new-inter-app-audio-introduces-universal-audio-routing-between-apps/

   2. It’s strange indeed how sunrizer, alchemy, Nanostudio , beatmaker2, WaveGenerator and a few others can run very nice on iOS 5 just nicely but newer apps don’t support,

      The way the devs have to deal with this is to abandon support of older devices due to the processing power needed to use IAA and AB. If it were just audio copy and background audio then no problem mate. But this is an age of “power use” we are getting to where greedy artists want to route 6 apps through 2 or 3 FX to something like Auria.

      Auria CAN run in a very restricted way on iPad 1g but its not worth the hassle.

      I went from iPad 1 to iPad 4 then iPad air 1gen and the difference in speed is astonishing.

      It was good for its time but the iPad 1 really how can only be used to host one synth to be played as an instrument while running the audio to another device or amp in a live setting.

      1. Yes. We have to take the ‘cup is half full’ perspective and enjoy the fact that, for the same money, you get a device that’s 10 times faster than the old one, and it will run some really amazing applications.

         I recently upgraded to an iPad Air 1st gen and it is quite amazing what an improvement it is over the original iPad.

         And the bonus is that now I can use my iPad 1 as a dedicated Lemur controller.

         Are other users still getting great battery life from their old iPads? My iPad 1 still goes for 8 hours a charge, which surprises me, because usually batteries lose a lot of their ooomph as they get older.

2. For hardware, any of the Expert Sleepers modules. And why not iOS 5? Because as of 2012, 96% of users had upgraded beyond that, and they likely have neither the devices nor the programming/QA time to devote to ‘ancient’ devices.

   1. 4 years is not that ancient. Compared to gaming consoles even after 4 years there were still great software being released for them. But that was also because those system were well designed in the first place, where the Ipad1 was designed with so little RAM that Apple had to quickly abandon it.

      1. I have to add many kudos to the rare developers who’s apps do work on the ipad1.

      2. You can still download more music apps for an iPad 1 than you can for a brand new Android tablet. How can you consider that obsolete?

         But it would be insane for developers to design new music apps to run on an original iPad 1.

         The latest iPads are 6 GENERATIONS ahead of the original. They can COMPLETELY blow away the original iPad. We’re talking at least a 10x performance increase, three times as many processors, 8 times as much RAM and 64bit vs 32 bit CPUs.

         You can’t expect an iPad 1 to run the latest apps – they’d crawl at best. And it’s not just the iPad 1. Are there any Android tablets that are 5 years old that can run the latest music apps?

         Game platforms are a completely different story – because companies release new gaming platforms on a 4-5 year cycle. That would never fly in the tablet world – there’s too much competition.

         1. You can’t expect an Ipad1 to run the all the latest apps, and yet NanoStudio and Thumbjam are still being updated for it and those apps works beautifully.

            And if you cant to throw Android in there, my old Nexus 1 tablet still runs every new apps, even Oscilab and Caustic. You do not need 1000 music apps, you only need a few.

            Also my ten years old computer can still run the latest Cubase and Reason, and it must be at least 20 generations behind current computers.

            1. “You do not need 1000 music apps, you only need a few.”

               Then why did you complain that you can’t run the latest apps on your 5 year old iPad?

               Also – the latest NanoStudio requires iOS 7, so it won’t run on an iPad 1.

               Kudos to developers that keep old apps alive – but kudos, too, to the developer that give us apps that really push the envelope and make the most of new hardware!

               1. This might not be the case but sometimes there would be absolutely no need to go for the latest iOS… and instead they do!
                  Forcing you to upgrade and eventually buy new hardware, cause your old hardware with new iOS is totally crippled.

                  1. A JazzMutant Lemur cost 2400 Euros, close to $3,000, five years ago.

                     Now it’s a $25 app that you can run on a $100 used iPad 1.

                     When people gripe about progress like that, it really sounds pretty damn whiny.

               2. Explaining the artificial reasons why the Ipad1 has been made obsolete is not complaining, unless you are confusing me with someone else. I am rich enough to own many Ipads I do not care is something does not work on the ipad1.

                  That’s the thing with the IOS SDK, if you compile your app using the latest version your app will not work under older version, even if you do not use any of the latest features.

                  May we agree on kudos to everyone who makes great apps?

      3. Also – on topic, this app looks like it will kick ass. The CV support looks insanely cool! I need to get up to speed on this Expert Sleepers stuff or figure out how well audio interfaces would work with this.

3. Cool! I’ve been wondering when someone would get around to this.

   fyi: It took some digging on his website to find that he’s using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 as the audio interface. It apparently supports iOS via the camera adapter. Presumably the ADAT out port to the ES3 is used.

4. Is there any site that has info, a FAQ or tutorial on how to make this work with a eurorack modular, specifically hardware requirements and what’s needed to make it work?

5. Is there any site that has info, a FAQ or tutorial on how to make this work with a eurorack modular, specifically hardware requirements?

6. I’d like to team this with a Teenage Engineering Oplab, that would rock my world no end – not to mention any modular gear:)

7. IMO, Jonathan has a point. You have to balance the seductiveness of all this against having to surf through OS changes that can sometimes demolish part of your rig. Its a real PITA for the unwary. I was one of ’em and learned the hard way early on, twice. I gradually settled on a more streamlined, main-liner rig because of it. If you use both hardware and softsynths, you’re already familiar with wearing several hats at once. Just read and learn. You don’t really need THREE additive synths. 😛

   More on topic, this is an impressive app. I recall TRYING to play an ARP 2600 and that made me dizzy enough. Modular synthesis is so labor-intensive that you need every little aid you can get. I’m a piano guy masquerading as a synthesist, so I loosely think from the keys inwards rather than from the sound OUTwards. I can program fairly well by now, but I’m curious about how someone who is into it handles the work flow. Its all by-hand, so you have to save/sample all of your best moments to ever hear them again. In general, you have to have something like a higher purpose to wrestle with it at all. What kind of time do you devote to designing new sounds versus applying them in a finished piece? Do you have major Moog-modular symphony-type dreams or do you just enjoy flogging it to multimode filters because its FUN, like playing ball with your dog? Either is fine, you understand; I’m just interested in your approaches.

   1. I have been fortunate enough to have acquired a Make Noise shared system. This is my first venture into the full modular world. The system is capable of achieving timbres that are unlike any other instrument and can also assemble them into complex rhythmic patterns with relative ease. It is true that you need to record everything valuable or risk your patch being lost in antiquity. But never fear, you will find another equally unique and intriguing patch right around the corner. All of this probably goes without saying.

      The creative process is another story. Without a grand design, you might be destined to noodle for eternity. You pay yo money – you take yo shot.

      1. me too, the makenoise shared system that is ! i am currently weighing up options to control, it via ableton and have had a look at some of the expert sleeper options, i know this isn’t the forum to be commenting on make noise, however they do make wonderful noise 🙂

8. I really like the idea of this, and the specs that they mention. But the video demo doesn’t show you squat about what this thing can do!

   The developer need to do a decent demo that shows what this can do on its own and what it can do integrated with a modular.

9. what´s the point of controlling (again) a physical/expressive instrument like a modular synth with a touchable device (yes, I own an iPad)? what´s next? blowing a trumpet with your fingers? modulars are for playing, come on!